You’re never too old to eat churros in Lisbon. This delicious pastry is usually a summertime treat, but if you’re craving them now, we’ve got you covered!
Spanish or Portuguese—the jury is still out on who invented churros. One thing is certain: we both love eating them!
In Spain, it’s perfectly acceptable to eat churros for breakfast, and pretty much every café has them. But if you’re looking for churros at a Portuguese café, you’re in the wrong place.
Churros are a fast food treat for us, typically sold on the streets. They’re the sweet staple of local fairs and summer festivals across the country, along with the fartura.
Hunting for churros in Lisbon can be hard, especially if you’re not in town for one of those big events. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat them though!
Below are five restaurants in Lisbon where you can enjoy churros all-year-long.
Photo credit: tiagoquaresmajesus, Text Overlay: Devour Lisbon Food Tours
1. Guilty by Olivier
While it’s famous for its extra large burgers and pizzas, Guilty also has some of the best churros in Lisbon! You’ll find them under the desserts section as the Crunchy Decadence. All you have to do is pick between the chocolate or the dulce de leche dip (doce de leite in Portuguese). We recommend getting these to share as they’re a bit pricey at €8.
2. Contrabando
In Portuguese, contrabando stands for illegal activity, but we promise there’s nothing illegal here. Unless, of course, you’ve sworn off sweets for the month. The churros at Contrabando cost €4.50 and come with a delicious side of doce de leite. You can also get them as part of their degustation menu. Honestly, we can’t imagine a better way to end a meal!
3. Tapa Bucho – Gastrobar
Tapa Bucho has two locations in Bairro Alto, but only one of them serves churros. Make sure to look for the Gastrobar at Rua Diário de Notícias if you want a taste of those! The restaurant makes their churros with chocolate sabayon and hazelnut mousse, which you won’t find anywhere else in Lisbon.
4. Boteco Dona Beija
Are you looking for gluten-free churros in Lisbon? If so, head to Boteco Dona Beija. This Brazilian restaurant makes its delicious churros with tapioca and cheese. Then they cover them with sugar and cinnamon, just like any other churro!
5. El Clandestino
Most Mexican restaurants in Lisbon have churros on the menu. After all, it’s also a Latin American tradition. Here at Devour Lisbon, we love the ones from El Clandestino, served with doce de leite and a touch of lime to cut the sweetness.
Ordering Churros at a Local Fair in Lisbon
Summer is the best season to find churros in Lisbon. Suddenly, you’ll see churro stands emerging in every neighborhood, especially during the Santos Populares festivities in June.
When ordering churros at a local fair, you’ll probably see two versions: the churritos, thin churros sprinkled with a mix of sugar and cinnamon (chocolate is extra); and the churros, which are thicker and come with a variety of fillings like doce de leite, chocolate, and fruit flavors like strawberry or kiwi.
Our best advice is to keep your eyes open for any local fair when you visit Lisbon!
